The Great Controversy - Righteousness is Love

220Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further: "And they hearda great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And theyascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."Revelation 11:12. Since France made war upon God's two witnesses, theyhave been honored as never before. In 1804 the British and Foreign BibleSociety was organized. This was followed by similar organizations, withnumerous branches, upon the continent of Europe. In 1816 the AmericanBible Society was founded. When the British Society was formed, the Biblehad been printed and circulated in fifty tongues. It has since been translatedinto many hundreds of languages and dialects. (See Appendix.)For the fifty years preceding 1792, little attention was given to the work offoreign missions. No new societies were formed, and there were but fewchurches that made any effort for the spread of Christianity in heathenlands. But toward the close of the eighteenth century a great change tookplace. Men became dissatisfied with the results of rationalism and realizedthe necessity of divine revelation and experimental religion. From this timethe work of foreign missions attained an unprecedented growth. (SeeAppendix.)The improvements in printing have given an impetus to the work ofcirculating the Bible. The increased facilities for communication betweendifferent countries, the breaking down of ancient barriers of prejudice andnational exclusiveness, and the loss of secular power by the pontiff of Romehave opened the way for the entrance of the word of God. For some yearsthe Bible has been sold without restraint in the streets of Rome, and it hasnow been carried to every part of the habitable globe.The infidel Voltaire once boastingly said: "I am weary of hearing peoplerepeat that twelve men established the Christian religion. I will prove thatone man may suffice to overthrow it." Generations have passed since hisdeath. Millions have joined in the war upon the Bible. But it is so far frombeing destroyed, that where there were a hundred in Voltaire's time, thereare now ten thousand, yes, a hundred thousand copies of the book of God.In the words of an early Reformer concerning the Christian church, "TheBible is an anvil that has worn out many hammers." Saith the Lord: "Noweapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue thatshall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn." Isaiah 54:17."The word of our God shall stand forever." "All His commandments aresure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth anduprightness." Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 111:7, 8. Whatever is built upon the